When looking for buildings & contents insurance, most people's first port of call will usually be one of the major price comparison websites (PCW) for cost and conveniences sake. Cost and convenience are always important; however many people are not aware using PCW's may mean they are not getting appropriate cover for their needs.Recently, the Financial Conduct Authority has undertaken a investigation into PCW's to see how they were really serving the consumer, and has concluded that:

consumers are not being given sufficient, clear and consistent information about features, excesses, exclusions and fees

consumers were under the impression that the quotes on site were giving them appropriate cover for their needs, rather than simply the cheapest quote.

Some PCW's were to failing disclose that they may be owned by a larger company,

In short, the conclusions of the report can indicate that many consumers have self arranged insurance that may not protect them in the event of a claim.

In addition to this our own experiences show that many consumers do not realise that self bought products do not give sufficient or even necessary cover, for example:

Many clients we have seen have not realised that the cheapest quotes often do not include cover for accidental damage, and therefore damage to household items will not be covered.

Incorrect Details about watercourses, trees and past flooding may be inaccurate, and therefore might invalidate any future claims

Self-employed people working form home, not realising that a claim on their existing household insurance may not pay out for items used by the business as a result.

Seeing an adviser may not even seem like an option when arranging insurance, however if you have any special circumstances, seeing an adviser could mean the difference between a successful claim or losing out because your policy is inappropriate for your needs.